Oracle (Kittie album)

Oracle is the second album by the Canadian metal band Kittie, released in 2001 by independent label Artemis Records. The album shows a change in the band's sound, displaying more death metal influences. It was the last album to feature bassist Talena Atfield before she departed in 2002.

Oracle
Studio album by
Kittie
ReleasedOctober 30, 2001 (2001-10-30)[1]
RecordedEMAC Recording Studios, London, Ontario, Canada
Genre
Length47:41
LabelArtemis
ProducerGarth Richardson
Kittie chronology
Spit
(2000)		 Oracle
(2001)		 Safe
(2002)
Singles from Oracle
  1. "What I Always Wanted"
    Released: 2001
  2. "Run Like Hell"
    Released: 2001

Background
"I was unhappy with some things in the band so I felt that maybe it was time for me to depart. I think it was for the best."

Former Kittie guitarist Fallon Bowman, speaking about why she left the band.[4]

After finishing their schedule on the 2001 SnoCore Tour, the band planned on returning to the same basement where they recorded their first album, to begin a work on a sophomore effort. In August 2001, guitarist Fallon Bowman left Kittie.[5]

Lead guitarist and vocalist Morgan Lander noted how the band members were only 14 years old when writing their debut album and that "We haven’t written in 4 or 5 years." She acknowledged a change in influence from their early days, stating, "Then we listened to bands like Nirvana, Silverchair, and Alice in Chains. Now we listen to stuff like Cannibal Corpse and Nile." However, the band would continue to write in the same fashion by first composing the music and then using that "as the backdrop behind the vocals."[6]

Morgan Lander explained the album title saying "An oracle speaks of truth, and sort of foresees the future," says Morgan. Morgan then said:

"This album is a coming-into-our-own album. We've found our own sound, and it's our truth. If you're not feeling in your heart what you're putting in to music, it's not worth a thing-I'm all about integrity, and keeping things pure and true, the way you intended them to be. There is a lot of emotion manifested into this really aggressive, raw sort of album, and it comes out in the music. I found out after we named the album that our ears have an oracle, and so do our hearts-So Oracle pertains to music, emotions, your heart. There's a lot that is intertwined."[7]

Commercial performance
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic56/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Alternative Press[8]
Blender[8]
NME5/10[9]
Playlouder[10]
Q[8]
Robert Christgau[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
Spin7/10[13]

The album debuted at #57 in the Billboard Top 200, selling 30,000 copies. By the end of December 2001 the album sold 115,000 units in the US. By the end of 2002, the album sold 225,000 units in the US. The music video for "What I Always Wanted" received heavy airplay on the MTV2 and MuchMusic channels. The album peaked at #121 on the Official Top UK Albums Chart. It also peaked at #91 on the Official German Albums chart.[14]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Oracle"Mercedes Lander, Morgan Lander2:02
2."Mouthful of Poison"Lander, Lander4:38
3."In Winter"Lander, Lander5:32
4."Severed"Lander, Lander3:20
5."Run Like Hell" (Pink Floyd cover)David Gilmour & Roger Waters4:09
6."Pain"Lander, Lander3:49
7."Wolves"Lander, Lander3:25
8."What I Always Wanted"Lander, Lander3:43
9."Safe"Lander, Lander4:12
10."No Name"Lander, Lander2:14
11."Pink Lemonade"Lander, Lander10:37

Personnel
  • Morgan Lander: vocals, guitar, piano
  • Mercedes Lander: drums
  • Talena Atfield: bass
Production

References
  1. Torreano, Bradley. "Oracle". AllMusic. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  2. Deena Weinstein (2015). Rock'n America: A Social and Cultural History. University of Toronto Press. pp. 274–76. ISBN 9781442600157.
  3. "CD Review of Kittie Oracle". Chris Schwegler.
  4. "Ex Kittie Guitarist Speaks Out On Departure From Band, Solo Project". Blabbermouth.net. June 3, 2002. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  5. D'Angelo, Joe (August 9, 2001). "Kittie Guitarist Scratched From Lineup". MTV. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  6. Joseph, Peter Sno-core Ball hits with metal edge 'The GW Hatchet (February 8, 2001). Retrieved on 7-16-11.
  7. "Kittie". www.yamaha.com/artists. YAMAHA Yamaha.
  8. Critic reviews at Metacritic
  9. NME review
  10. "Playlouder review". Archived from the original on February 11, 2002. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  11. Robert Christgau review
  12. "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved 2011-04-30.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. Catucci, Nick (December 2001). "Kittie: Oracle". SPIN. p. 154. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  14. "Rob Zombie And Sevendust Debut Solid, "Oracle" Reveals Future". shoutweb.com. 2001-11-21. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2001-11-21.
  1. "Amazon". Shoutweb.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  2. "Shoutweb". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
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